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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: row · fork · pop · nail · coach · lean · bulb · trunk

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pop — soda
  5. row — a line
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. lean — thin
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. lean — to bend
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fork — in a road
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bulb — for light
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pop — music
  23. row — to paddle
  24. trunk — of an elephant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com